Question re: Meets

[greeneggsandham]

Do you have to be a member of the ABC or other club to show Ameraucanas at a meet? 

I am trying to find out contact information for someone interested in showing at the Fayetteville, Ar meet in November.  I went back to a previous post and after re-reading it I am wondering if one has to be a member of a club to show poultry?

[John]

No.  Anyone may show at any show that I know of.  You only have to be a member of a breed club to be eligible for awards offered by that club (join before judging begins if interested).

[greeneggsandham]

Thank you John.  Regarding the meet in Fayetteville, AR in November, who would be the best person to contact for information on entering and showing if you are not a member?

[Jean]

You would just enter your birds in the show.  Below is the Club link.

http://www.hotopa.com/index.html

[John]

There are 2 kinds of clubs to keep in mind when it comes to breeding and exhibiting.
"Breed clubs" like our ABC and local "show clubs" that put on APA sanctioned shows for those that are into exhibiting.  Both have their place in the fancy. 

[greeneggsandham]

You would just enter your birds in the show.  Below is the Club link.

http://www.hotopa.com/index.html

Thanks.  Yes, I have been to that link but I do not see any information or links for entering the show or where the show will be held, etc.  All that is there is a form to become a member of their association.  So, I'm going to ask a stupid question here, how do you just "enter your birds"? 

[Paul]

Hi Greeneggsandham,

There are 2 shows being held in Fayetteville, ARK.  on Nov. 3, 2012.

The first judging will be District Ameraucana Meet and the 2nd judging is Arkansas State Meet.

The information on the ABC meets were just sent to Jacob on Tuesday, Aug. 14.  That's probably why there is no information on the website about the meets.

Jacob Bates is show secretary e-mail is: jakeab42@hotmail.com

We plan to attend the Arkansas meets.  Hope to be able to meet you.

[greeneggsandham]

Hi Greeneggsandham,

There are 2 shows being held in Fayetteville, ARK.  on Nov. 3, 2012.

The first judging will be District Ameraucana Meet and the 2nd judging is Arkansas State Meet.

The information on the ABC meets were just sent to Jacob on Tuesday, Aug. 14.  That's probably why there is no information on the website about the meets.

Jacob Bates is show secretary e-mail is: jakeab42@hotmail.com

We plan to attend the Arkansas meets.  Hope to be able to meet you.

Well, now I am more confused.  Are these two "shows" in the same building but put on by two different clubs or organizations?  Do you choose which show you want to enter or do you pay the fee's to enter both or is it one fee?  Is the show put on by the HOPOTA, the ABC or the APA? 

I will likely attend the show, I just haven't decided if I want to enter a bird yet.  My cockerals are still fairly young and I hate the thought of having to start vaccinating all these birds for whatever they would need to be vaccinated for?   Unless people get to sell birds they exhibit?  Also, do you have to have your own show cage or are cages provided?   Anyway, I'm trying to get this info for a youngster who is interested in the shows and exhibiting some birds he raised.

[far149]

This website may help you with some of your questions. We're planning on being at the Arkansas show and hope to see you there.

http://www.poultryshowcentral.com/index.html

[Paul]

Hi Greeneggsandham,

Let me help!  It's one show-the Heart of the Ozarks Poultry Association which has two judgings by two sets of judges.  There is only one entry fee which covers both judgings.  Double judging just became popular several years ago.  There use to be a four judged show in Oklahoma called the Okie 4 Pack.  It was discontinued several years ago due to lack of help setting up and tearing down the show cages.  We attended twice.  Yes, the poultry shows furnish the show coops.  Most of the shows have a special sales area that can be rented or you can usually sell out of your vehicle.  In Texas, a person must be a part of the state registration program to sell any birds off their premises.  We are not part of it-so we don't show much inside Texas anymore.

All chickens in the South part of the U.S. should have already been vaccinated for Pox-whether they are showing or not.  Mosquitoes will bring the virus to birds without protection!  We vaccinate our chicks at hatching for Marek's Disease.  The entire flock is vaccinated for "LT"  Laryngotracheitis when the last hatch gets 4 weeks old and again six weeks later.  They are vaccinated for Pox three weeks after the first LT dose.  The vaccinations are all finished as of August 11, 2012.  Its quite a job vaccinating 400 head.

[greeneggsandham]

Thanks Paul.  That helped clear it up. 

Well, all I have vaccinated for in the last two years is Mareks.  As far as Pox, we don't have many mosquitoes up here(I am from the far south so I know how bad mosquitoes can get) and it has been very dry the last two years which has further hampered them.  I haven't seen any evidence of it in my flock, unless I'm missing something, and I read don't introduce it with a vaccine unless you already have it.  I haven't vaccinated for LT either, so I may just bring myself to the show unless the risk of transmission of these diseases is low?

[John]

It's one show

Technically a double judged "show" would be two sanctioned meets by the APA and the show club pays for two, just as our local show club pays for two with both a spring and fall show.  The two meets are two seperate events and some of us might call them seperate "shows" even though they are the same day.  

[Paul]

Hi Greeneggsandham,

  There is always a low risk of disease at any show.  I use to think the Oklahoma/Kansas line was far enough North for the Pox vaccination.  However that isn't even close to how far North the virus has spread.  The LT is primarily a Northern winter time disease.  Pennsylvania requires a bird to be vaccinated for LT before it can enter a show.  Hope you will bring some to Sedalia and Fayetteville.

[Paul]

Greeneggsandham,

If you want to see if you have mosquitoes, there is a simple trap that can be set to find out.  Put about 2 inches of water in a 5 gallon bucket.  Then put an empty gallon jug, like milk or tea comes in, inside the bucket.  Place the bucket outside near your chicken pens.  The next morning after the sun is well up, remove the jug and see how many mosquitoes fly out of the bucket.

  Learned this one by accident!  Left a bucket with a jug inside it out of the barn and it rained.

[greeneggsandham]

Thanks Paul.  I might do that.  I know we get mosquitoes up here, I've seen them over the years, just haven't seen them the last two years much at all.
What do you watch for in Ameraucanas as far as symptoms of pox?  I've seen pictures of chickens with pox, but those chickens have huge combs and wattles where you can see the effects.  That's not the case with Ameraucanas, so what would we be looking for?